Jessica Stern

About Jessica Stern

For over 18 years, I led from the frontlines of the legal system— first as a criminal defense and immigration attorney, then as the founder of a boutique law firm I built from scratch, scaled with intention and ultimately sold as a valuable asset in the legal community and industry. What began as a one-woman practice grew into a systems-driven, client-focused business, fueled by strategic process design and a deep understanding of our people, the law, and a foundation of trust.Today, I bring that same rigor and instinct into ventures that blur the lines between law, media, and innovation. I build teams, streamline operations, and shape market narratives—backed by a founder’s mindset and a pattern recognition honed from years of high-stakes advocacy.My current focus: developing platforms that solve complex problems and tell bold stories—whether reimagining legal (tech) workflows, driving internal change inside business or non-profit structures, or producing media content inspired by the lived realities of courtrooms and communities. I move fluidly between logic and creativity, operations and storytelling, always driven by the same core belief: systems can be redesigned, and stories can shift power.If you\'re building something ambitious - whether it\'s a platform, a product, or a story - and need a strategic partner who sees both the moving parts and the bigger picture, let\'s talk. I\'m always open to the right challenge, the right collaborators, and the kind of ideas that won\'t let you sleep until they\'re real.

Experience

1. Founder Creative Producer

   Beyond The Podium Films Dba Crimmigration Experts, Llc

   Jun 2025 — Present · Atlanta, GA, US

   Behind the unyielding formality of the law, a new voice rises. BEYOND THE PODIUM Films was forged by two decades of lawyering in criminal & immigration courts, where the line between right and wrong is rarely simple. We are storytellers who see the human tapestry in its jagged, complex beauty—a weave of worlds and truths that seem impossibly far apart. Our mission is to bridge this gap between the mighty and the marginalized, to strip away the artifice and reveal the raw, beating heart of our shared humanity. We are here to illuminate the spaces in between, where true stories live and breathe.Project 1 - Criminal Sentencing Mitigation Films. Through developing partnerships, we tell the stories of people who currently face criminal charges in U.S. federal or state courts nationwide. After a 10-12 minute film of compelling interviews with family, friends, & the Defendant, the sentencing judge & prosecuting attorneys must grapple with emotional truths that could not (and would not) ever be revealed by the prosecution\'s story alone. As an experienced criminal defense lawyer, I think about the legal issues as the person\'s lawyer does, while cultivating and directing aspects of the clients\'s narrative that often otherwise goes unexplored. WE TAKE BACK THE STORY. The outcome of the case (i.e, sentence, final charges, etc) reflects a more balanced truth never before considered.Project 2 - TV Production Consulting. Developing partnerships w/ 25+ year seasoned TV producers.Project 3 - Narrative screenplay. Personally developing narrative centering on my personal experiences as a (cr)immigration lawyer over the past 2 decades under Obama, Trump & Biden administrations in a red (rarely purple) state.(In-progress)Project 4 - Narrative screenplay. Collaborative narrative story centering on the turmoil of an undocumented father & his family after deportation of their son + decades in the U.S, while planning for a cultural milestone.

Education

• University of Central Florida

  BA, Political Science/Pre-Law; minor: criminal justice

  2002 — 2005

• Northeastern University School of Law

  Juris Doctor, Northeastern University School of Law

  2005 — 2008

Skills

• Criminal Defense
• Litigation
• Evidence
• Courts
• Investigation
• Legal Research
• Criminal Law
• Personal Injury
• Trial Practice
• Research
• Appeals
• Negotiation
• Hearings
• Civil Rights
• White Collar Criminal Defense
• Criminal Litigation
• Juvenile Law
• Motions
• Immigration Law
• Trials
• Pleadings
• Legal Writing
• Defense
• Jury Trials
• Legal Issues
• Private Investigations
• Westlaw
• Felonies